Stop other people doing Baby Talk

Kaneshiia - posted on 04/05/2013
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Our son is 18months we have always (from womb-birth-now) spoken to him as you would to any child/teenage/adult. Basically not baby talk. I can't stand it when other people do it, how do I tell them without being rude that we do not want them talking to him like that???

On another similar note: My husband is the youngest of his parents two children. Its him and his older sister. She has two daughters who she taught to call their parents mahmaw. And pahpaw. (She's notorious for baby talk). I'm sorry if this is common in other households but I feel it is baby talk. I don't mind mama and papa. But that's not the case. My husband even says its dumb because they didn't grow up using that terminology. Some might say its nicknames. But I do not like it. They are grandma and grandpa they earned that title, my husband agrees. He refers to them as grandma and grandpa, also great grandpa not great pahpaw. We both say it in front of them but it seems like they are either not getting the hint or ignoring. What to do???

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Amy - posted on 04/06/2013

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Well as far as what your kids call your parents most kids have trouble pronouncing words when they first start speaking so usually these names for grandma and grandpa are how these young children start pronouncing their names and they usually stick. I don't use baby talk with my kids but my 3 year old calls my mom grammie bear and her grandfather papa. She knows that they are grandma and grandpa but as I stated the names have stuck.

As far as how people speak to your 18 month old depending on how often they are around them I would probably just ignore it. If it's someone who is with your son every single day for extended period time then I would try and have a conversation letting them know that you want them to speak to your child normally but otherwise it wouldn't be worth the fight to me. As your son gets older he'll recognize that these family members don't speak normally and in typical toddler fashion he may ever let them know. A funny story I was at the grocery store with my 3 year old the other day a woman walked by and spoke to my daughter in a high pitched squeaky voice, when she got further up the aisle my daughter looked at me and asked why the woman talked in a funny voice.

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Kaneshiia - posted on 04/09/2013

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It might not be my job. But he is my son and I do not appreciate it. We don't want him calling them mahmaw ane pahpaw. Mama and papa is okay. Thats actual words sorta speak but mahmaw and pahpaw isnt. Thanks anyways!

It's not your job to decide how other people speak. Maybe they don't want two Grandma and Grandpas. (we have an Opa, Grandmama, Grandpa, and Grandma)

As for speaking to your 18 month old in baby talk, if it's not scaring him, just let it happen. If he's confused, translate a little for him. Maybe they will correct themselves, maybe not, but at least your child will know what's going on. For example, my son was a bit bewildered recently because people kept talking about a "bunny" when referring to a stuffed toy that he was carrying around and I just leaned over and said quietly "Bunny means rabbit." and that was that.